Scots-based Page\Park Architects have been awarded the contract to restore Glasgow School of Art’s (GSA) Mackintosh Building to its former glory following last year’s devastating fire.

The company was selected from a five-strong shortlist for the multi-million project, work on which is expected to get underway within the next year.

It is expected to include a reconstruction of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed landmark’s library, which was destroyed in the blaze last May.

Art school chiefs said the plans for the restoration of the building would explore “how to best meet the needs of the GSA in the 21st century whilst remaining true to Mackintosh’s astonishing vision.”

Page\Park founder David Page said he believed his practice could restore the library according to the original vision of the architect and his “ingenious” designs, which survived the blaze.

Firefighters received huge praise after managing to salvage 90 per cent of the Mackintosh Building and rescuing around 70% of its contents, including the “vast majority” of the art school’s archives.

A reopening of the building is not expected until the 2017-18 academic year at the earliest.

Professor Tom Inns of GSA said: “There will be an authentic restoration of the building, but it will also be about integrating and combining that with 21st century thinking.

“There is a great deal of understanding about the building, it is incredibly well-documented and we’ve had a forensic team working in the library. There is a rich portfolio of knowledge and information. If we can harness all of that and the creative energy of the architectural team we can put together something genuinely authentic.”